Datuk John Ghani

Wanita Chief

Datuk Armani Mahiruddin

Information Chief

Datuk Hjh Jainab Hj Ahmad Ayid

Printer Friendly Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Umno on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to safeguard the interests and welfare of all Sabahans by openly supporting the setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to look into the allegations of non-citizens obtaining citizenship by dubious means.

Sabah Umno deputy head of information, Datuk John Ghani, voiced his opposition openly and announced his resignation from the party in order to contest as an independent for the Kuala Penyu state seat.

He objected strongly to the nomination of an UPKO candidate for the seat.According to him, he did not mind an Umno or PBS candidate for the seat but not UPKO's.

What is also interesting is his statement that he would re-join Umno if he wins, prompting Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to issue the warning that Umno would not take back any member who contests as an independent against any BN candidate.

Musa, as chairman of Sabah BN, repeated the warning, saying that Umno and the other component parties had agreed that they would not accept back any member who contests on an independent ticket.

"We regard these individuals as traitors... they would not be accepted back," he said.

In reality, the threat posed by these "independent" candidates is no big deal in the peninsula but politics in Sabah is a different story altogether.

Sabah experienced a change of government when the ruling party suffered a split, like when Berjaya defeated Usno in 1976 and when PBS toppled Berjaya in 1985.

Umno spread its wings to Sabah in 1991 mainly to prevent such a change from recurring.

...

However, that Umno and PBS have a share of the state seats under the Ranau constituency, has eased the dissatisfaction somewhat.

Sabah Umno Information chief, Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail, said BN wanted a resounding mandate and as such, all problems would be given their due attention.

One of them would be nominated by the State Legislative Assembly during the State Budget sitting beginning today (Friday) to replace Datuk Karim Ghani (Umno) whose term expires on Dec 8, 2005.

...

It was reliably learnt the other new Senator from Sabah Umno will be its Wanita Chief, Datuk Armani Mahiruddin, under the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's quota of appointments.

It is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's discretion to appoint 44 Senators, including two from Kuala Lumpur and one each from Labuan and Putrajaya.

Currently, Sabah has two leaders under this quota, namely Datuk Dayang Mahani Raffae (term expiring in July 2007) from Umno and Datin Naomi Chong (term expiring in October next year) from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Sabah Wanita Umno Information Chief, Datuk Hjh Jainab Hj Ahmad Ayid, said many elderly voters are in a dilemma over the choice of candidate because they were told by PAS campaigners that they (voters) would go to heaven if they vote for Mohamad Abdul Wahid.

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Umno on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to safeguard the interests and welfare of all Sabahans by openly supporting the setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to look into the allegations of non-citizens obtaining citizenship by dubious means.

...

Sabah Umno Information Chief, Datuk Sapawi Ahmad, said Sabah Umno has never objected to the setting up of a RCI on the issue.

"The decision to conduct a royal inquiry is an administrative decision of the Federal Government and the proper authority to decide is the Federal Cabinet," he said.

He said this in a statement after attending a New Year get-together cum breakfast hosted by Chief Minister and Sabah Umno Chief, Datuk Seri Musa Aman, for Sabah Umno leaders.

Sapawi said it should also be noted that all Umno MPs from Sabah voted in Parliament to accept the recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) headed by Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, which, among others, adopted a resolution to set up a RCI in Sabah.

"So the issue of Sabah Umno objecting to the setting of the RCI never arises.
In fact, in 2008, Sabah Umno submitted a memorandum to then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi detailing various issues that required immediate attention of the Federal Government," he said.

He said, among others, the memorandum urged the Federal Government to take proactive measures to manage the increasing number of foreign nationals in the State.

...

"Sabah Umno has voiced its official stand on the issue of RCI to the Committee.

Sabah Umno has no objection to the setting up of the RCI by the Federal Government," he said.

He said Sabah Umno was with the people on issues important to their wellbeing and the welfare of the State.

"Sabah Umno has always been supportive of any measure to ensure the welfare and security of the State, whereby the interests of its people are always a top priority," he said.